Overnight Masters co-leader Scottie Scheffler held a one-shot lead over Max Homa, Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa midway through the third round as Tiger Woods’ bid to make a charge faltered on Saturday at sunny and breezy Augusta National.
Pre-tournament favourite Scheffler, who began the day in a three-way share of the lead with Homa and LIV Golf’s DeChambeau, covered the front nine in one-under-par 35 which took him to seven under.
Scheffler enjoyed a perfect start as he chipped in for birdie at the first and rolled in a 34-foot putt at the third hole to build a two-shot lead before a bogey at the par-three fourth took some wind out of his sails.
The world number one immediately steadied the ship, however, and rode a string of pars into the turn just as the already-tricky Augusta National greens continued to get firmer and faster.
Twice major winner Collin Morikawa, playing one pairing ahead of Scheffler, started out with a trio of birdies to put pressure on the leader.
DeChambeau, one of the eight LIV Golf players who made the cut and playing in the final pairing with Homa, bogeyed the par-four third to drop back but responded with a short birdie putt at the par-five eighth.
Homa, playing in his fifth Masters, could have grabbed a share of the lead but missed an 11-foot birdie putt at the eighth hole and had to settle for an eighth consecutive par.
BRIGHT SUNSHINE
A day after only eight players broke par in a second round played amid wind gusts that topped 40 mph and made a difficult course even more challenging, the early starters were greeted with dazzling sunshine and a much lighter breeze.
READ | Scheffler, Homa, and DeChambeau share Masters lead as Woods targets Green Jacket
Woods, fresh off his Masters record-setting 24th made cut, began his third round seven shots behind the leaders and hoping his injury-ravaged body would hold up and allow him to make an early move.
But Woods, who insisted this week he can still equal Jack Nicklaus’s record of six Masters titles, suddenly showed signs of discomfort during a horrendous finish to his front nine and was eight over through 15 holes.
Following a three-putt bogey at the par-three fourth, Woods drained a fist pump-inducing birdie putt from 19 feet at the fifth that produced the day’s biggest roar before he suddenly started to unravel.
Woods bogeyed the par-three sixth after his tee shot landed behind the green, made a double-bogey at the seventh where he chipped into a bunker, carded another double at the eighth and a bogey at nine where his approach found another sand trap.
Among the other early starters was Rory McIlroy, who began the day 10 shots off the lead and seeking a low score to boost his hopes of completing the career Grand Slam of golf’s four majors but had to settle for a one-under-par 71.
“All I can do is come here and try my best. That’s what I do every time I show up. Some years it’s better than others,” said world number two McIlroy. “I’ve just got to keep showing up and try to do the right thing.”
The day’s low score in the clubhouse belonged to American Chris Kirk who carded a four-under 68 to reach one over for the tournament.
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